Warlord
This illustration of a dwarf by William O'Connor introduced the warlord in the Player's Handbook. Warlord is a martial leader class in fourth edition Dungeons & Dragons. Class traits A 1st level warlord begins with hit points equal to 12 plus the warlord's Constitution score, healing surges per day equal to 7 plus the warlord's Constitution modifier, and a +1 bonus to Fortitude and Will defenses. A warlord gains 5 hit points per level. Class proficiencies A 1st level warlord begins with cloth, leather, hide, chainmail, and light shield armor proficiencies, and simple melee, military melee, and simple ranged weapon proficiencies. Class skills A 1st level warlord begins trained in four of the following skills. *Athletics (Str) *Diplomacy (Cha) *Endurance (Con) *Heal (Wis) *History (Int) *Intimidate (Cha) Class features Archer Warlord You have the option to select the Archer Warlord class feature. If you do, you begin with neither chainmail nor light shield proficiency. In exchange, you gain proficiency with military ranged weapons, and you may use Strength instead of Dexterity for attack and damage rolls when making a ranged basic attack with a bow. Commanding Presence Choose one of the following. Some warlord powers have additional effects if the user has a specific Commanding Presence class feature. *'Bravura Presence': "When an ally who can see you spends an action point to take an extra action and uses the action to make an attack, the ally can choose to take advantage of this feature before the attack roll. If the ally chooses to do so and the attack hits, the ally can either make a basic attack or take a move action after the attack as a free action. If the attack misses, the ally grants combat advantage to all enemies until the end of his or her next turn." *'Insightful Presence': "When any ally who can see you spends an action point to take an extra action, that ally gains a bonus to all defenses equal to half your Wisdom modifier or half your Charisma modifier until the end of your next turn start of his or her next turn ." *'Inspiring Presence': "When an ally who can see you spends an action point to take an extra action, that ally also regains lost hit points equal to one-half your level + your Charisma modifier. If the ally can see multiple warlord allies who have this class feature, the ally regains hit points from only one of them (the ally’s choice)." *'Resourceful Presence': "When an ally who can see you spends an action point to take an extra action and uses the action to make an attack, that attack gains a bonus to damage equal to one-half your level + your Intelligence modifier. If the attack hits no target, the ally gains temporary hit points equal to one-half your level + your Charisma modifier." *'Skirmishing Presence': "When an ally who can see you spends an action point to make an attack, that ally can use a free action to shift a number of squares equal to your Intelligence or Wisdom modifier before or after the attack." *'Tactical Presence': "When an ally you can see spends an action point to make an extra attack, the ally gains a bonus to the attack roll equal to one-half your Intelligence modifier. If multiple warlord allies who have this class feature can see the ally, he or she gains the bonus from only one of them (the ally’s choice)." Inspiring Word You gain inspiring word, which functions like a power targeting yourself or a nearby ally. It is usable two or more times per encounter (depending on character level), but not more than once per round. The target can spend a healing surge, and gain a bonus to the amount of hit points restored by it. The range, number of uses per encounter, and bonus hit points depend on your level. Warlord Leadership Choose one of the following. *'Battlefront Leader': "You gain proficiency with heavy shields, and you gain the battlefront shift power." *'Canny Leader': "You and any ally within 10 squares of you who can see and hear you gain a +2 bonus to Insight checks and Perception checks." *'Combat Leader': "You and each ally within 10 squares who can see and hear you gain a +2 power bonus to initiative." Warlord powers Warlord powers, having a martial power source, are also called exploits. Warlord feats These feats can only be chosen by warlords, or characters who have previously chosen a multiclass warlord feat. } *Avenging Spirit *Bloody Inspiration *Combat Commander *Commander's Memory *Cragborn Courage *Defense of the Inspired (Inspiring Presence) *Defensive Surge *Dragon Breath Tactician *Elemental Companions *Fading Forces *Fey Tactics *Feyborn Strategem *Feywild Flanker *Fight On *Impetuous Charger *Improved Battlefront Shift *Insightful Preparation *Phalanx Warrior *Reliable Resources *Steadfast Tactics *Tactician's Word (Tactical Presence, inspiring word) *Versatile Word (Resourceful Presence, inspiring word) *Vital Inspiration *Warlord's Formation |- !Epic tier (level 21 or higher) |- | *Action Grant *Aggressive Leadership *Bold Spirit *Call to Glory *Driven Leadership *Enabling Shot *Fate Favors the Bold *Heartening Exploit *Learn by Doing *Perceptive Leadership *Protective Leadership *Reliable Action *Shared Resources *Shift the Field *Supreme Inspiration *Tactical Action (Tactical Presence) *Tactical Cunning |} Warlord paragon paths These paragon paths can only be chosen by warlords. *arcane battlemaster (Arcana trained) *Arkhosian blademaster (Arkhosian Fang Student) *arrowhead commander (Adamant Arrow Student) *battle captain *battlelord of Kord *borderlands marshal (hybrid/multiclass ranger) *captain of fortune *chainbinder (Rending Chains Warmaster) *combat veteran *commando captain *concordant leader (genasi) *dujun of Erathis *earthfast brigadier *flamebrow commander (Bravura Presence) *infernal strategist (Resourceful Presence) *knight commander *longarm marshal *pack master (good) *platinum warlord (good) *prince of knaves (Stealth trained) *shadow captain *spiral tactician (eladrin, Tactical Presence) *sword marshal *twiceborn leader *white raven *zephyr warchief (Desert Moon Student) Multiclass warlords Characters who are not already warlords and who do not already have a multiclass feat may select a multiclass warlord feat. Each multiclass warlord feat grants all of the following benefits: *Training in one skill of your choice from the warlord class skill list, Athletics, Diplomacy, Endurance, Heal, History, or Intimidate. *Counting as a warlord, in addition to the original class, for feat and paragon path requirements. *Ability to take Novice Power, Acolyte Power, and Adept Power feats to exchange powers for warlord powers. Taking all three feats allows paragon multiclassing in warlord instead of taking a paragon path. Paragon multiclassed warlords select warlord powers instead of paragon path powers, and may take the Battle Instructor feat to gain the Combat Leader warlord class feature. The published multiclass warlord feats are: *Bravura Leader: Allies spending an action point to make an attack may gain bonus damage at the cost of granting combat advantage to their target. *Insightful Leader: Allies spending an action point to take an extra action gain +1 to all defenses for a turn. *Inspiring Leader: Once per encounter, an ally spending an action point to take an extra action gains temporary hit points. *Resourceful Leader: Allies spending an action point to make an attack gain bonus damage if they hit, or temporary hit points if they miss. *Skirmishing Leader: Allies spending an action point to take an extra action can shift 1 square. *Student of Battle: The multiclass warlord can use inspiring word once per day. *Tactical Leader: Once per encounter, an ally spending an action point to make an attack gains a +1 bonus to the attack roll. Hybrid warlords A character may be created as a hybrid of warlord and another class. The hybrid warlord bonus to defense is either +1 Fortitude or +1 Will. The hybrid warlord class features are limited to Inspiring Word (Hybrid), which counts the same as Inspiring Word except inspiring word can be used only once per encounter, and Warlord Leadership, which functions as normal. A hybrid warlord taking the Hybrid Talent feat may choose either Commanding Presence (Hybrid), which counts the same as Commanding Presence except its benefit can be granted only once per encounter, or Warlord Armor Proficiency, gaining proficiency with leather armor, hide armor, chainmail, and light shields. Rulebook tips Role and builds The rulebooks classify warlord as primarily a leader class, with supportive abilities such as granting party members extra actions and causing enemies to take extra damage from the party. Strength, Intelligence, Charisma are listed as the class's overall key abilities. Strength is important for all warlord builds, but the importance of the latter two varies between builds. Of the initial Player's Handbook races and builds, dragonborn, half-elves, humans and tieflings are mentioned as making good Inspiring Presence builds, and eladrin, humans and tieflings are mentioned for Tactical Presence builds. The following build options are given for starting 1st level warlords. You may use a build option as a template, or invent your own starting build. Bravura Warlord Strength first, Charisma second, Intelligence third. Endurance, Heal, History, and Intimidate skills trained. Bravura Presence and Combat Leader class features. Improved Bravura feat, and Action Surge for the human bonus feat. Brash assault and furious smash at-will, luring focus encounter, and fearless rescue daily powers. Insightful Warlord Strength first, Wisdom second, Charisma third if you don't take high Wisdom. Athletics, Diplomacy, Endurance, and Heal skills trained. Insightful Presence and Canny Leader class features. Lend Strength feat. Direct the strike and intuitive strike at-will, powerful warning encounter, and leader's instincts daily powers. Inspiring Warlord Strength first, Charisma second, Intelligence third. Athletics, Diplomacy, Heal, and History skills trained. Inspiring Presence and Combat Leader class features. Inspired Recovery feat, and Toughness for the human bonus feat. Commander's strike and furious smash at-will, guarding attack encounter, and bastion of defense daily powers. Resourceful Warlord Strength first, Intelligence and Charisma second. Athletics, Diplomacy, Endurance, and Heal skills trained. Resourceful Presence and Combat Leader class features. Improved Resources feat, and Durable for the human bonus feat. Commander's strike and opening shove at-will, hammer formation encounter, and calculated assault daily powers. Skirmishing Warlord Strength first, Intelligence second, Wisdom third if you don't take high Intelligence. Athletics, Endurance, Diplomacy, and History skills trained. Archer Warlord, Skirmishing Presence, and Combat Leader class features. Archer Captain feat. Paint the bull's-eye and risky shot at-will, race the arrow encounter, and inspiring shot daily powers. Tactical Warlord Strength first, Intelligence second, Charisma third. Endurance, Heal, History, and Intimidate skills trained. Tactical Presence and Combat Leader class features. Tactical Assault feat, and Weapon Focus for the human bonus feat. Viper's strike and wolf pack tactics at-will, warlord's favor encounter, and lead the attack daily powers. Flavor The warlord has a martial power source. Warlord abilities often take the form of weapon attacks, and get their power from experience, determination, and brute strength. Warlords are not necessarily warlords, or even leaders, from a roleplaying perspective. They need not be a military officer or member of the ruling class, or even the decision maker or spokesperson for the party. Warlords favor deities embodying military might or tactical leadership. Among the core pantheon, Bahamut and Kord appeal to warlords' martial tendencies, while Ioun and Erathis appeal to their strategic minds. Evil and unaligned warlords sometimes worship Bane. Development Designers Rodney Thompson and Mike Mearls discussed William Wallace as a real world analog for D&D's warlord.For the Record: Mearls on Warlords The marshal was a base class introduced in the third edition Miniatures Handbook. Its class features included the ability to grant allies move actions, and auras adding bonuses to certain rolls made by allies.D&D Miniatures Handbook excerpt The marshal appeared in the second design draft for fourth edition before being renamed as the warlord.The Warlord The fourth edition warlord was first published in the Player's Handbook core rulebook , then expanded in the Martial Power and Martial Power 2 supplements. Miniatures produced by Wizards of the Coast based on fourth edition rulebook descriptions of the warlord class include: tiefling dragonborn human References Category:Warlord Category:Classes Category:Leaders Category:Martial